Teaching and discussing about risk: seven elements of potential significance for science education

Abstract

The present paper takes its point of departure in risk being a relevant content for science education, and that there are many different approaches to how to incorporate it. By reviewing the academic literature on the use and definitions of risk from fields such as engineering, linguistics and philosophy, we identified key elements of the risk concept relevant for science education. Risk is a phenomenon of the future that may be conveyed by our activity, it is something that may or may not take place. Hence, at the core of risk we find uncertainty and consequence. Furthermore, the elements of probability and severity are relevant modifiers of the consequence, as well as both subject to uncertainty. Additionally, in framing, understanding and decisionmaking on risk, as individuals or society, we need to acknowledge that risk has both objective and subjective components, lying in the interface between knowledge and values. In this paper, we describe how these key elements were derived from the literature and derive a schematic model of the risk concept for the purpose of science education. We further discuss how this model may assist in planning, execution and evaluation of teaching activities explicitly or implicitly involving risk issues. ARTICLE HISTORY

Didactic Modelling for Socio-Ecojustice

“…Examples of research-based and teaching-oriented didactic models are organizing purposes , didactical dilemmas regarding controversial issues teaching (Rydberg, 2018;Sjöström & Rydberg, 2018) and key elements in teaching about risk (Schenk et al, 2019). The models have the potential to change practice, but practice will also affect the models.…”

Risk Society and Science Education

“…In contrast, widening conscious risk considerations take problem contexts beyond, fitting into complexity. Schenk et al (2019) forward a similar suggestion as they develop a model for relating subjective and objective features of risk. They propose a multidimensional conception of risks, recognizing close relations between risk and decision-making.…”

“…There is a double nature of risk: it has the objective facet, surrounded by technical knowledge, but it also has a subjective facet, surrounded by values (Schenk et al 2019). This double nature imposes challenges for science education.…”

Risk Literacy and Environmental Education: Does Exposure to Academic Environmental Education Make a Difference in How Students Perceive Ecological Risks and Evaluate Their Risk Severity?

“…He specifically emphasized that, for the attainment of a risk-literate society, an accurate risk perception skill is crucial, and called it "the missing link" in EE. Later publications acknowledged the importance of risk literacy in the wider context of scientific literacy- Zint (2001) [44], Covitt et al (2005) [45], and Stevenson et al (2014) [6] focused on the importance of risk competence and educating the youth to develop young people into scientifically informed citizens. Schenk et al (2019) [46] also argued that risk assessment is a relevant content for almost all aspects of science education and reviewed a variety of ways in which it can be incorporated.…”

“…Later publications acknowledged the importance of risk literacy in the wider context of scientific literacy- Zint (2001) [44], Covitt et al (2005) [45], and Stevenson et al (2014) [6] focused on the importance of risk competence and educating the youth to develop young people into scientifically informed citizens. Schenk et al (2019) [46] also argued that risk assessment is a relevant content for almost all aspects of science education and reviewed a variety of ways in which it can be incorporated. Zint (2001) [44], and Hansen and Hammann (2017) [39] list the required skills for developing risk literacy, which include critical thinking, systems thinking, interpreting probabilities, and proficiency in making risk comparisons.…”